University Research Project - Opinions Needed

[pmccullough1]

Hello, I'm a member of a group of final year Mechanical Engineering students working on a new design for a wearable glucose monitor. The research centres around developing a small, flexible plaster that changes colour in real time depending on the wearers interstitial glucose levels. This is a non-commercial project and we would really value some feedback from people who are living with diabetes. We would love to know if:

• You would use a such a product if it were available.
• Any possible problems you could identify with such a device.

The plaster will be constructed from a hydrogel, the same material used in daily contact lenses. Recent studies have shown that hydrogel patches (shown below) are able to effectively and painlessly deliver drugs to a patient through the skin. This same technology could be used to help people living with diabetes monitor their glucose levels for a fraction of the cost of existing continuous glucose monitoring systems.

Thank you,

Peter

 

[carol43]

Would be interesting to see it work.

 

[Survivor53]

Hello, I'm a member of a group of final year Mechanical Engineering students working on a new design for a wearable glucose monitor. The research centres around developing a small, flexible plaster that changes colour in real time depending on the wearers interstitial glucose levels. This is a non-commercial project and we would really value some feedback from people who are living with diabetes. We would love to know if:

• You would use a such a product if it were available.
• Any possible problems you could identify with such a device.

The plaster will be constructed from a hydrogel, the same material used in daily contact lenses. Recent studies have shown that hydrogel patches (shown below) are able to effectively and painlessly deliver drugs to a patient through the skin. This same technology could be used to help people living with diabetes monitor their glucose levels for a fraction of the cost of existing continuous glucose monitoring systems.

Thank you,

Peter

 

[Survivor53]

Yep, most definitely, go for it...

 

[Diakat]

At what levels would it change? How useful for colour blind people?

 

[ickihun]

Is the gel able to be worn in a chlorine swimming pool? I sweat a lot too so would it be able to still stay attached say in a hypo or hyper state (wet from sweat)?

 

[pmccullough1]

At what levels would it change? How useful for colour blind people?

Hi thanks for your response,

A glucose sensing bio ink has been developed through the DermalAbyss project at MIT, this study focused on creating tattoo ink that changed colour depending on a persons interstitial blood sugar levels.

https://www.sciencealert.com/mit-is...ink-that-can-monitor-your-health-in-real-time

This ink allows for a colour change between blue to brown depending on glucose levels similar to a traditional glucose reader. For suitability of people with colour blindness, I'm not sure, an interesting point I'd have to research.

 

[bulkbiker]

You're missing a trick...why not make it readable by a smartphone you have then created a freestyle libre alternative or does your technology not allow for accurate readings?
How will the colour change be activated?
You should probably add a "possibly" category to your poll..
How can we say yes or no when we have no idea how it will work.
I'm interested, f course, especially if it works out cheap but also of course the accuracy is key.

 

[pmccullough1]

Is the gel able to be worn in a chlorine swimming pool? I sweat a lot too so would it be able to still stay attached say in a hypo or hyper state (wet from sweat)?

Hi thanks for the response,

These are interesting points, With adhesives it's always a balance between comfort and longevity and the affect of water and sweat would also be important factors to Consider for the design.

 

[pmccullough1]

You're missing a trick...why not make it readable by a smartphone you have then created a freestyle libre alternative or does your technology not allow for accurate readings?
How will the colour change be activated?
You should probably add a "possibly" category to your poll..
How can we say yes or no when we have no idea how it will work.
I'm interested, f course, especially if it works out cheap but also of course the accuracy is key.

Hi thanks for your response,

A glucose sensing bio ink has been developed through the DermalAbyss project at MIT, this study focused on creating tattoo ink that changed colour depending on a persons interstitial blood sugar levels. This ink allows for a colour change between blue to brown depending on glucose levels similar to a traditional glucose reader. For suitability of people with colour blindness, I'm not sure, an interesting point I'd have to research.

The device is intended to be very cost effect and contains no electronics which poses a challenges for smart phone integration. A potential solution would be to use a phone camera to measure the colour of the patch, but as you mentioned accuracy is key and the project is still in its initial stages.

 

[bulkbiker]

This ink allows for a colour change between blue to brown depending on glucose levels similar to a traditional glucose reader.

Not really... a traditional glucose meter gives me a number that is useful.. at what level would the colour change occur? and what use would that be except to say I am either above or below a set number? I'm not trying to be nasty (although it probably comes across a bit like I am) but I'm not sure who you are aiming this at? Type 1 or Type 2's or who?

 

[donnellysdogs]

Not for me as an adult but a child may like it.

 

[pmccullough1]

Not really... a traditional glucose meter gives me a number that is useful.. at what level would the colour change occur? and what use would that be except to say I am either above or below a set number? I'm not trying to be nasty (although it probably comes across a bit like I am) but I'm not sure who you are aiming this at? Type 1 or Type 2's or who?

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback, we envisioned the product to be used to identify high blood sugars and give the user a real time "snapshot" of their blood sugars. We are proposing this product as an addition to existing blood sugar readers not necessarily a replacement. It's a good point and I feel we need to have more clarity on this issue going forward.

 

[Mr_Pot]

Rather than design it to alert people that their BG is high it might have more application if it alerted people to low BG levels. I don't have hypoglycemic episodes but maybe someone who does will say if that could be useful.

 

[ringi]

Could be very useful for some who does not have hypo awareness or a child if the patch clearly changed colour at 5 and 4 mmol/l. Remember the low BG can kill within minutes, high BG takes days to have much effect, therefore detecting low quickly is much more important.

If you can make it so that one part of the patch shows the current BG, and other part shows the adverage over the last 30 minutes, then it could be useful to see if BG is low and going lower.

As someone with Type2 not on insilin, I would not use it, as I need readings that I depend with a repeatabilty of 0.2 mmol/l .

 

[Squire Fulwood]

In principle, of course I would wear it, why wouldn't I?

My comments are economic Currently I have a finger pricking system and a Libre scanner. The test strips can cost anything up to £25 for 50. The Libre sensors cost £50 each and last for two weeks and then must be replaced.

Your system would not make either of those redundant and so would be an additional cost. It would have to be very affordable.

It would not replace the Libre because the Libre gives stats and predictions about Hba1c etc. The finger pricking is necessary to check up on the Libre since it changes its character with every new sensor.

 

[Jenniewren1958]

Is it hypoallergenic

 

[pmccullough1]

Is it hypoallergenic

Hi,

The hydrogel materials are already being used in contact lenses and transdermal skin patches so hopefully the material wont cause a reaction. However this is an important concern that we'll need to look into.

 

[lindisfel]

Are you thinking of using a graduated colour chart to interpret the results?
Most of us are well aware what peaks our blood glucose and are very switched on about avoiding highs and lows. This would seem to make your coarse measuring device more relevant to the uninitiated!?

As someone else mentioned it needs converting to a measurement of instantaneous b.g. and interfacing to a smart phone.
I thought one of the big tech companies were working on this kind of project.
Derek